UNION BLASTS PUBLIC WORKS SUSPENSIONS

AFSCME Files Grievance To Challenge City's Ruling

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees says
suspensions imposed on two of its members working in Springfield's
public works garage are "bogus."

The union has filed a grievance challenging the suspensions.

Gianni Antonacci and Arthur Harmon were suspended without pay the
week of Aug. 20, and their supervisor, public works superintendent
Dennis McDaniels, was also suspended, according to sources within
city government familiar with the actions. City payroll records also
show breaks in pay for all three during that pay period.

McDaniels, who declined comment through his attorney, is not a member
of the union. To reverse his suspension, he would have to pursue it
through the Civil Service Commission, which would mean he would rack
up hefty legal fees. The sources who reported McDaniels' suspension
did not know what charges the suspension was based on.

The city, through spokesman Ernie Slottag, also declined comment
because the issue is a personnel matter.

The suspensions followed an investigation by the city attorney's
office of an allegation that Antonacci and Harmon had avoided drug
tests on July 3 by taking time off after being tipped by McDaniels
they were to be tested.

However, neither Antonacci nor Harmon was disciplined on the basis of
that allegation, and both have denied it through AFSCME. They were
suspended on other charges, including an accusation that they were
responsible for embarrassing the city when newspaper stories appeared
about the investigation.

"The whole investigation turned out to be bogus," said Roger Griffith
of AFSCME Council 31. "They still don't have anything on them."

Regarding the allegations about avoiding a drug test, city records
show McDaniels did not call Antonacci's cellular phone until after
Antonacci requested the time off.

The phone records wouldn't prove anything anyway, Griffith said,
because supervisors call workers all the time.

Both Harmon and Antonacci passed urine-based drug tests they were
given on July 5. Each had failed a drug test previously in the course
of their city employment.

"I think the paper never should have written the fact that they had
positive drug test in the past," Griffith said. "Both of them are
straight as arrows. Their names were dragged through the mud."

Antonacci also passed a hair follicle drug test taken at his own
expense. That test detects trace amounts of certain drugs that have
been in someone's system for up to 90 days, a longer period than a
urinalysis.

Antonacci was suspended for dishonesty concerning the reasons he gave
for taking time off on July 3. The city said he gave three different
reasons for taking time off -- that he had an emergency, that he had
a sick child and that he was sick.

"That is absolutely not true," Griffith said. "His statement was that
he was sick. He never used the excuse of a sick kid. They (the city)
got the reasons confused in their own report.

"Art had a child suffering from a spider bite. That's the reason he
got the emergency call to go home. Gianni got sick.

"I think the city owes them an apology."

Another reason given for the two workers' suspensions is that they
allegedly embarrassed the city through State Journal-Register
articles that appeared in July about the investigation. Antonacci's
wife, Sarah, is a State Journal-Register reporter.

Griffith, noting that the information was unfavorable to both Harmon
and Antonacci, called it "ridiculous for the city to even infer they
talked to the press."

The newspaper reported July 22 that two sources had confirmed the
nature of the allegations. That also was confirmed by public works
director Mike Norris and Mike Zahn, business manager for Operating
Engineers Local 965. A July 26 story said that four sources had
confirmed that Antonacci, McDaniels and Harmon had been put on paid
leave pending an investigation.

Neither Sarah Antonacci nor any of the disciplined employees were
sources for the stories.

Griffith said he hopes he can settle the grievance before the case
goes to arbitration.